Episode 38 - Frèdèric Bourdin + Timeline of Popes Part II

Unscrupulous

Trigger Warning up top, friends - in Adam's story we discuss some heavy topics like colonialism in Canada (including but not limited to the Residential School System), sexual misconduct in the church, and grim patriarchal bullshit including anti-choice rhetoric, racism and homophobia. But it wouldn't be an episode on the Catholic Church without it!
First Bec (they/them) tells us about the many lives Frèdèric Bourdin tries on. What started as a proclivity to pretend to be someone else, turns into assuming the identity of real missing people. He sets off to America to try and convince a family that he is their missing son. After they discover an actual stranger in their home, Frèdèric returns to Europe continuing to pretend to be different missing boys. Even though he has appeared on tv shows and documentaries where he admitted to his lies, the self proclaimed Chameleon of Nantes can't seem to stop himself. Does the impulse come from bad intentions or is he chasing the childhood he never had?

Next Adam (he/him) finishes PopeTalk™. This week we focus on the lives of Pope John Paul II (later Saint John Paul II), and Pope Benedict XVI as we move into the more modern era of popes and all the hatred they spew, the crimes they ignore, and the atrocities they encourage. They probably wouldn't be happy this episode is the first to come out during pride month. We both get pretty fired up in this ep.

Bec's Sources:

• https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/08/11/the-chameleon-annals-of-crime-david-grann
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Bourdin

Adam's Sources:

• Saint John Paul II | Biography, Death, Miracles, Feast Day, & Facts | Britannica
• Pope John Paul II - Wikipedia
• Benedict XVI | Biography, Resignation, Legacy, & Facts | Britannica
• Pope Benedict XVI - Wikipedia
• Rules of Law (Regulae Iuris) | Encyclopedia.com
• National Catholic Reporter: Obituary of Pope John Paul II
• [ Footprints ] Pope John Paul II | Ammsa.com
• Pope Benedict XVI discusses condoms and the spread of HIV
• Do condoms work? | aidsmap
• The Role of the Churches | Facing History & Ourselves
• Magdalen laundries: a brief history of the institutions
• How Ireland Turned 'Fallen Women' Into Slaves
• Canadian researcher challenges Vatican's claim that its Indigenous artifacts were gifts | CBC News

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